In a historic first, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) completed 345 expropriation pleadings in a single batch, marking the largest output ever recorded by the department.
The milestone was achieved during a three-day writeshop in Clark, considered the biggest in DOTr history with 191 participants, as part of efforts to accelerate right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for major rail projects under the directive of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr..
Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez said the initiative would significantly speed up land acquisition for key infrastructure projects.
“Sa partnership nating ito with OSG, lalong mapapabilis ang right-of-way at site acquisition para sa mga big ticket projects ng DOTr. Kailangan na natin ito paspasan para umandar na ang konstruksyon ng mga transport projects at mapakinabangan na ng mga pasahero,” he said.
The writeshop focused on legal pleadings covering critical land parcels for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP)—two of the government’s flagship rail initiatives.
Since March 2025, ROW acquisition for the NSCR North segment has surged from 7.59 percent to 65.5 percent, while cleared ROW for the MMSP has reached 90.80 percent.
Transportation Assistant Secretary for Right-of-Way and Site Acquisition IC Calaguas underscored the importance of the completed cases.
“These are all crucial right-of-way parcels for NSCR and MMSP. To the men and women of OSG, please continue to be our partner in attaining 100 percent right-of-way for our rail projects,” he said.
Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan, who led the closing rites, described the writeshop as a landmark achievement for the agency.
“This one is for the books… and to everyone who have been a part of this, maraming maraming salamat po for always supporting and being there for the DOTr, for the Rail program. And together, matatapos din natin ito,” Batan said.
The DOTr also reported that 1,537 out of 2,647 affected informal settler families, or 58.51 percent, have already received compensation.
The NSCR North segment, covering Malolos to Clark, is targeted to be operational by 2028, while the southern segment is expected to be completed by 2031. The MMSP, meanwhile, is projected for completion by 2032.
